Most of the West Stand must have overheard Mr Silverwood tell a persistent TJ at a game last year (I can't recall the opposition)," you are making me look a !!!!!!! idiot, when he insisted Hull had the put in to a scrum that he had given to the other team.

Like many on here I am sure, I have to admit to the B&W glasses sometimes making me see things one way that when watching replays or highlights on Sky I Have to admit the officials got right but refereeing decisions should not be the major talking points after games that they currently are.

I often get home and watch the replay to find that =#000080every decision the ref made that I thought was wrong at the match was actually correct.

The problem is when they make a howler it adds credibility to our black and white view of all the other decisions.

Obviously I have some bias but I often find myself as the voice of reason, regarding decisions, with the fans around me. However, the area of the game that really annoys me, and we seem to always be on the wrong end of, is the interpretation of the referee with regards to a ball steal/knock on. An FC player can have the ball stripped and the decision is a knock on and then literally in the next set almost an identical incident will happen and we get penalised. This is the main area where referees are "influenced" IMO. We also seem to be on the wrong end of the decision when the referee hasnt seen how the ball came out and basically just guesses. I'm sure we must get some of these in our favour but I still get the feeling that more often then not the decision goes against us regardless of whether we were the ball carrier or the defender.

Pity the TJ in question didn't reply with "You're making a good enough of that yourself without any help from me".

In all seriousness though if this is what is happening in games then no wonder the officiating is very inconsistent as there is seemingly little or no respect between the Ref's and TJ's which is pretty bad.

A full overhaul should take place and the RFL should boot Cummings out as he seems to be unaccountable along with his band of merry men holding the game to ransom as we need them. Once he's gone shell out some of the cash and bring in a top Aussie ref to oversee the restructuring of the officials here for 1 to 2 years.

Hasn't that been tried?

Indeed it has. Greg McCallum took over from Fred Lindop and was eventually replaced by Stuart Cummings.

[url=http://tonyhannan.posterous.com/catching-up-with-greg-mccallumAn interview with McCallum from February 2000[/url

Exactly what I was meaning. Along with the interference in the ruck, I think the 2 things are largely influenced by reputation. At times it almost seems like the ref just bases it on whether or not he thinks one team is too good to drop the ball so it must be a penalty or not good enough to hold onto it so it was bound to be a knock on. Warrington are a great example; no matter who they are playing they always seem to come out on top in this area with replays showing little difference between the incidents. It helps them get a roll on with the weight of possession.

Absolutely right and as I think we've both said before it's the decisions that aren't given that have more influence IMO than those that are maybe given wrongly. Following on from your theme things like not square at marker seem to be given far more often against the lower teams yet there are numerous times when the better teams are in exactly the same position but it's not given. It's a mindset for some refs IMO. Lower teams get pulled for offside yet better teams have a fast line speed is another one. Refs influence games by not giving decisions as much as they do by giving them.

For those thinking this is all a deliberate plot, you'd better head over to the 9/11 conspiracy theorists site, you'd be in good company

I have no doubt that the vast majority of decisions refs make are correct, however it's the inconsistent way the rules are applied that is frustrating. For instance, you will see a ref ignoring offside for play after play only to blow up when he feels like it. Too often, refs give multiple penalties to one side in succession, starving one team of the ball and influencing the flow of the game and potentially the outcome. Need a major rethink on referees IMO

I once applied to be a ref and went to sit the exam. I sat down to do the test but was told I'd failed when they found out my IQ wasn't in single digits